Spring wheel



W. H. SMITH SPRING WHEEL Filed Feb. 27, 1922 a ike-nu; V

.rArss PATENT", OFFICE.

WIL IAMJH. SMITH, or enrnenronr, ooNNEorI-oun SPRING WHEEL.

a plication filed February 27, 1922 Serial 1%. 539,674.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WI LIAM SMITH,

a citizen of the United States of America,-

- residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticutyhave in-- vented certain new and useful Improvements is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and in Spring Wheels, of whichv the following useful. improvements in springlwheels and has particular reference to the provision .of

an improved form of spring wheel embodying a series of spaced concentric bands held resiliently in their proper normal relation by meansof circular spring elements.

g The primary objectflof. the invention is to provide a spring wheel. of the above type wherein the construction embodies acornbination ofsimpli'c1ty and durability as well O as eflicient operation, and'meetsthe requirew ments for a successful commercialfuse;

Another object'inthe invention is to provide the circular spring. elements in-dis connected spaced 'relation for each circular, series thereof whereby extreme resiliency may be obtained, the spring elements acting asconnecting means for a plurality of 'concentric resilient bands whose -resiliei1cy.com-

ments for; efiicient operation I l Viththe above general objects in view the invention consists ofthe novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter companying drawings; and in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings p Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon line IIII of Figure 1, and

5 views, the present invention includes three or more concentric annular bands, five of" the same being herein shown as the preferred construction and respectively indicated by the numerals 5, 6, "7 8 and 9. These bands 5 are all constructed of resilient'sheet metal,

I at their outer elements may take place when flexed or displaced under load.

bines with the resiliency of the spring ole-'- more fully described in connection with 'ac-zl Figure 3 is a perspective view drawn on a interposed between the two innermost bands and the largest springv elements being inter, 1 posed between the outermost bands. The spring elements consist in. circular sheet metal spring members, those of the outer- -most seriesbein'g denoted by the numeral 10 and shown as riveted or secured in an equivalent manner as at 11 at their inner portions to the band 8 and similarly secured portions as at 1-2 to the band 9, the spring elements of this series being in spaced relation. so that flattening of said the rimsare p .The next series of spring elements is denj ted. by thenume'ral-l3', the same having their inner-'portionsriveted as at 14 to the band 7 and their outer; portions riveted as at l5-to the band 8, the spring elements of this second series of spring elements being also in spaced relation at the adjacent sides I of the sameso as to permit flattening or flexing of the sameas above mentioned with respect to the spring elements 10. In a like. manner the spring elements 16' of the next circular series are attached "to the bands 6 and 7 and the-innermost series ofelements. 1.7 are attached in a like manner to the bandsfi and 6.- H Q It will be noted that thespring elements of one seriesiare in staggered relationto thoseof the series of elements at either side. thereof so that the bands may easily flex between the. spring elements of adjacent series whereby the strains are distributed over the entire wheel for insuring durability and long life to the wheel.

As shown, the spring elements may gradually decrease in width and this is also true I of the band, the outermost band'9 being 100 the widest the bands gradually decreasing. in width until the innermost band 5 is of the smallestwidth as shown in Figure 2. The outermost band 9v maybe formed in any suitable manner for reception o-fa resilient tread 18, preferably of rubber or rubber composition, and all of the bands will be flexible with the exception of the band 5 which constitutes the periphery of a hub member including also side plates or disks 19 and 20, the disk 20 being employed also to furnish the usual brake drum 21 by flanging said disk 20 in the usual manner, the parts being held together by bolts as at 20 as is well known in the vehicle wheel art.

For extreme economy in manufacture, the

, spring elements and the bands may be formed or" thin gage metal and in order that the same will not have too high resiliency,

rubber or othercushion members or blocks 22 may be interposedbetween the side. portlons of the adjacent spring elements of each series as denoted in Figure 1. While thesecushion blocks may be attached or otherwise secured in place, they will probably remain in place under ordinary conditions of use by simply fitting the same tightly between the adjacent spring elements and forming the'blocks with arcuate side faces conforming the shape of the spring elements. The arcuate curvatures ofthe side faces of the blocks 22will. otcour se be concave and the outer portions of the blocks may be made slightly larger than the inner portions of the same as shown, it'found desirable. lVhile these blocks are compressible they will resist the flexingot'the spring elements to a great extent and compensate for the use of extremely thin andhighly resilient-rims and spring elements. 1

The object of making the outer bands and the outermost series of spring elements of greater width is to provide a broad tractionsurface and greater strength at the remote "points from the hub, which portion of the wheel will otcourse be subjected to the most Having thus described the invention, what I claim is p 1. A spring wheel comprising a hub member including an inner band forming a por cular concentric bands of sheet metal disposed aboutsaid hub band and a plurality of spring elements disposed between adjacent ones of said'bands, each of said elements comprising a ring of resilient sheet metal, the spring elements of each series being in side by side spaced relation and said elements being unconnected with each other and attached only at their inner and outermost points to the bands, the series of spring elements between adjacent bandsbeing in staggered relation to those of the series at either side thereof, said hands being spaced gradually lesser distances apart inwardly, and said spring elements of the series of spring elements gradually decreasing in size inwardly,and cushion blocks havi11 concave side facesconforming to the springelements and interposed between said elements for resisting flexing of the latter.

tion of the hub, a plurality of resilient cir- 2. In a spring wheel wherein a plurality of resilient bands are normally maintained circular and concentric by means of a plurality of circular series of spring elements which are disposed between adjacent ones of said bands in radially staggered relation, and wherein the spring element-s between the bands'are gradually spaced at lesser distances apart inwardly with the spring elements'oit the several series of spring elements gradually decreasing in size inwardly, the bands and spring elements formed of continuous pieces of sheet metal of single tliickness with the spring elements of the several series arranged with their peripheries adjacent, but in spaced relation, and unconnected with each other and attached only at their inner and outermost points to the bands.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM H. SMITH, 

